Author: Gugu Lourie

Insurer Santam is returning money to all its personal and business clients as driving declines because of widespread coronavirus-related shutdowns. Santam has announced it will refund 20% of motor premiums paid in April. “We are absolutely committed to playing our part to help alleviate some of the devastating impacts of this virus. We are listening to our clients and monitoring the impact of this pandemic, and where we are able to provide additional assistance, we will do so in a fair and responsible manner.,” Lizé Lambrechts, Santam CEO, said. “As a proudly South African business, we are dedicated to helping…

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a R500 billion stimulus package to deal with the economic impact of COVID-19. The country embarked on an economic response that can be divided into three phases. The first phase began in mid-March when it declared the coronavirus pandemic a national disaster. This included a broad range of measures to mitigate the worst effects of the pandemic on businesses, on communities and on individuals. The measures included tax relief, the release of disaster relief funds, emergency procurement, wage support through the UIF and funding to small businesses. “We are now embarking on the second…

Unemployed South Africans to receive R2,100 each in special grants as part of a temporary 6-month Coronavirus grant. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa announced today that poverty and food insecurity have deepened dramatically in the course of just a few weeks. In order to curb the spread of COVID-19, the country imposed a 21-day lockdown that has since been extended by two weeks to the end of April. “To reach the most vulnerable families in the country, we have decided on a temporary 6-month Coronavirus grant,” said Ramaphosa. The state will direct R50 billion towards relieving the plight of those most…

A payments project, which makes it harder for crooks to load fraudulent debit orders and harder for consumers to query debit orders on their bank accounts, has been delayed. The mysterious R99 debit orders that many people have complained about could now be around until May 2021. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has today published (in the government’s Gazette) a new date for when the payments project – DebiCheck (also known as Authenticated Collections) – will be operational. This simply means banks will continue to pay “rogue debit orders” that customers did not authorise. The system, which aims to…

Uber is launching Uber Direct in South Africa as coronavirus minimises the demand for its traditional ride-hailing business. Uber Direct is an on-demand and scheduled last-mile delivery solution for businesses. Businesses can use Uber Direct to move their goods within their supply chain, and between locations to better balance supply and demand, ensuring customers receive their orders when required. “This is our broadest effort yet to help businesses meet unprecedented demand for delivery, and helping people stay at home while still getting the items they need,” Alon Lits, Director for Uber Sub-Saharan Africa explains. “Uber Direct also allows us to…

The department of labour has announced that close to 1.6 million South African workers are covered by applications already lodged by companies for COVID-19 payments. The applications highlight the devastating economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the South African economy. As part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the department of labour has issued a directive for relief to be provided to contributors who have lost income or required to take annual leave as a result of the coronavirus breakout. To date, the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has received just over 55 268 applications from employers representing about…

The problem with a lockdown is it works, but only for a short period, explains Associate Professor Co-Pierre Georg, convenor of UCT’s sought-after master’s in financial technology. As we’ve seen, governments around the world are resorting to drastic measures to curb the spread of the virus. Many countries have imposed lockdowns of varying lengths as a means of slowing the spread of the deadly COVID-19. South Africa has extended its 21-day lockdown by two weeks to the end of April. Other countries are already under pressure to immediately lift tough lockdowns so they can jump-start their economies. However, many experts…

As at today, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa is 3158. The total number of tests conducted is 114 711. The provincial breakdown is as follows: REPORTING OF CONFIRMED DEATHS “Today we regrettably report 2 more COVID-19 related deaths.  Similar to yesterday, these are from Kwa Zulu – Natal and the Western Cape. “This brings a total death toll to 54 today.  We convey our condolences to the families and also appreciate the committed health workers who were treating the deceased patients.”

South Africa’s municipal councillors are “looting” food parcel meant to be distributed to the poor across the country as millions go hungry because of the national lockdown. The alleged incidents of corruption and food looting currently taking place have been reported in several provinces, where claims are being made that those in charge of the distributions – mostly ANC councillors – are not giving the food to the needy families, according to City Press. The newspaper stated that there are fears that food-related protests, which have flared up in some provinces, could escalate if the national government does not intervene.…

Andile Ramaphosa, son of President Cyril Ramaphosa, and businessmen Brad Fisher have set up a project to enable micro-suppliers to earn a living during the national lockdown. Andile owns SDI (Supplier Development Initiatives) a company that introduces micro-suppliers to larger companies. SDI is an existing services-on-demand platform that uplifts micro-suppliers across multiple industries. Fisher and Andile have set up a new programme, SDI Force, which gathers donations for personal protective equipment (PPE) and clothing to enable micro-suppliers to earn a living while doing their bit to combat the virus. SDI Force was initially set up to focus on and assist…